Sectional boat



March 19, 1963 w. s. BILLMYER SECTIONAL BOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet l FiledApril 3, 1961 l March 19, 1963 w. s. BILLMYER SECTIONAL BOAT 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 3, 1961 ff'. Myx

ATTORNEY United States Patent Oiiice Patented Mar. 19, 1963 3,081,465SECTIONAL BOAT William S. Billmyer, 2307 Fifth St., Moline, Ill.

Filed Apr. 3, 1961, Ser. No. 100,274 7 Claims. (Cl. 9--2) Moreparticularly, it is an yobject of the present invention to provide aboat composed of sections which may be nested one within another forltransportation and storage and which may be readily secured rigidlytogether with the sections in end-to-end relation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sectional boat whereineach section provides a separate open top compartment, and wherein theboat sections are connected by novel joints by which the compartmentsare sealed from one another to substantially above the waterline of theboat.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a novelinterlocking joint between the sections of the boat to provide maximumrigidity between the assembled boat sections and to enable the boatsections to be assembled and disassembled very quickly and easily.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide a sectional boatthe sections of which are so designed that sai-d sections may be readilymolded or cast.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will hereinafterbecome more fully apparent from the following ydescription of thedrawings, illustrating a presently preferred embodiment thereof, andwherein:

FIGURE l is a top plan view, partly in horizontal section, of theassembled boat;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal substantially central sectional view thereof;

FIGURE 3 is 4across Sectional 'View taken substantially along a plane asindicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE l;

FIGURE 4 is a cross sectional view showing the boat sections nested fortransportation or storage;

FIGURE 5 is a plan view of a boat deck attachment for the bow section; f

FIGURE 6 is `a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken substantiallyalong a plane as indicated by the line 6-6 of FIGURE 2;

from the outer edge of the portion 21, as best seen in FIGURE 7. Thehorizontal gunwale portion 21 is provided with longitudinally spacedopenings 23, for a purpose which will hereinafter be described. The rearwall 18 terminates below the level of the gunwales 20 and said gunwalesterminate forwardly of therear wall 18 so that the side walls 17 haveupper edge portions, disposed behind the gunwales 20, which are disposedcoplanar with the upper edges of the transverse wall 18, as seen in FIG-URE 7. The front wall 19 has a forwardly extending horizontal Iflange 24at its upper edge which is disposed above the level of the upper edge ofthe rear wall 18 and substantially coplanar with the horizontal gunwaleportions 21. A wall 2-5 is formed integral with and extends downwardlyfrom the forward edge of the top ange 24 and terminates in its bottomedge just above the level of the bottom 16. The wall 25 has slots 26 atthe ends thereof which extend from the bottom of said wall to thehorizontal liange 24, lower portions of said slots being seen in FIGURE4. l

The stern section 15 likewise includes a substantially flat bottom 16',upright substantially parallel side walls 17', an upright transverserear wall 18 and an'upright transverse front wall 19. As seen in FIGURE6, the stern section -15 is slightly wider than the intermediate 1section 14 so that the side walls 17' are spaced apart a distanceslightly greater than the spacing between the walls 17. The side walls17 have gunwales 20', corresponding to the gunwales 20, and which aredisposed at the same height above'the bottom 16 as the gunwales 20 p are`dispose-d `with respect to the bottom 16. The rear FIGURE 7 is anexploded fragmentary perspective View, partly in section, and on anenlarged scale, showing parts forming the interlocking joint betweentwov of the boat sections; t

FIGURE 8 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal vertical sectionalview, taken substantially along a plane as indicated by the line 8--8 ofFIGURE 3;

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view'of a part of theassembled boat;

FIGURE 10 is a fragmentary cross sectional view showing the connectionof the boat deck attachment of FIG- URE 5 to a part of the boiw section,and

FIGURE 11 is an enlarged bottom planview ofy a part of the assembledboat.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the sectional boat in itsentirety is designated generally 12 and in the embodiment thereof asillustrated, includes a bow section 13, an intermediate section 14 and astern section 15.

The intermediate section 14 has a substantially flat bottom 16,corresponding vertical side walls 17, a transverse vertical rear endwall 18 and a transverse vertical front wall 19. The side walls 17 attheir upper edges are provided with integral gunwales 20, each of whichincludes an outwardly projecting horizontal portion 21 yand a dependingvertical portion 22 which exten-ds downwardly wall 18 corresponds to therear wall 18 and its upper edge is disposed coplanar `with the portionsof the upper edges of the walls 17 which are located behind the gunwales20. Thus, another boat section, not shown, can be added t-o the boat 12behind the section 15. As seen in' FIGURE 7, the front 'wall 19', whichcorresponds to the front wall 19, has a forwardly extending horizontaltop ange 24', and a wall 215 which extends downwardly from the forwardedge of the ange 24 and which terminates slightly above the level of theupper surface of the bottom 16. The flange 24' and the rwall 25'correspond with the flange 24 and wall 25, said wall 25' being providedwith slots 26 at the ends thereof, corresponding to the slots 26. Asseen in FIGURE 7, the side walls 17 extend beyond the front wall 19 toterminate coplanar with the forward edge of the ange 24 and the frontsurface of the wall 25', so that the slots 26 separate the side walls 17from the wall 25. The gunwales 20 extend to the forward ends of the sidewalls 17 and are beveled on their outer sides and Iat their forwardends, as seen at 27, in FIGURES l and 7. The gunwales 20 are similarlybeveled on their outer sides and at their forward ends as seen at 28 inFIGURE 1.

The bow section 13 includes a bottom 29 having a substantially yflatrear portion 30 of a width somewhat less than the width of the bottom16, and an upwardly curved and tapered forward portion 31. The bowsection 13 includes corresponding side walls 32 which are spaced apart adistance less than the spacing between the walls 17 and which side wallsinclude substantially parallel rear portions 33, ywhich are spaced aparta distance'le'ss than the spacing between the walls 17, and inwardlycurved converging forward portions 34 the bot tom edges of which conformin contour to the bottom portion 31 andthe forward ends of whichconverge with one another and with the forward end of said bottomportion 31. The bow section 13 has a rear wall 18", corresponding to therear wall 18.

The bow section 13 has gunwales 3S along its side walls 32, eachincluding a horizontal top ange 36 which extends to the forward ends ofthe walls 32 and an outer vertical depending flange 37, which extendsonly along a part of the gunwale which is spaced outwardly `from thewall portion 33. The rear ends of the gunwales 35 and wall port-ions 33correspond with the rear ends of the walls `17 and gunwales 20, as seenin FIGURE 7, to provide notches 38 to accommodate the tapered forwardends 28 of the gunwales 2f), and end portions of the top flange 24, asWill hereinafter be described. The horizontal gun- 'wale portions 36 areprovided with spaced openings 39 similar -to the openings 23. The bowsection 13 may be provided with a bow seat 4t) which extends rearwardlyfrom the bottom portion 31 and between the wall portions 34, somewhatbelow the level of the gunwale surfaces 36. An apertured plate 41 may beprovided at the forward end of the wall portions 34 and above the seat40, and a mooring eye 42 may be provided externally of the bow sectionand at the upper forward end o-f the bottom portion 31.

The bottom 16 is provided on its underside and adjacent each end thereofwith longitudinally disposed lugs 43 having bores 44 extendinglongitudinally therethrough, as seen in FIGURE 8. The underside of thebottom 16', adjacent both of its ends, has similar lugs 45 providedrwith longitudinal bores 46, and the underside of the bottom portion 30,near the rear wall 18, has similar lugs 47 provided with bores 48.

To assemble the boat 12, the boat sections 13, 14 and 15 are preferablyinverted and the rear wall 18 of the intermediate section is displaceddownwardly into the space 49 between the front wall 19 and the wall 25'.The wall 25 is of a length to fit snugly between the side walls 17,portions of which side walls are accommodated in the slots 26, as seenin FIGURE 6, so that the forward ends of the walls 17' overlap the rearends of the walls 17. The width of the space 49 is substantially greaterthan the thickness of the Wall 18, and when the forward ends of thegunwales 20' are in abutting engagement with the rear ends of thegunwales 20, as seen in FIGURE 1, the wall 18 is disposed in the space49 between and spaced from the walls 19 and 25' and with its upper edgeabutting the top flange 24'. With lthe parts thus disposed, the bores 44of the rear lugs 43 are disposed in alignment with the bores 46 of thefront lugs 45 to receive headed bolts 50 which engage detachably throughsaid aligned bores 44 and 46 and to which nuts 51 are applied andtightened for detachably securing the sections 14 and 15 rigidlytogether, with the adjacent ends of the gunwales 20 and 20 in abuttingengagement and with the horizontal flange 24 resting upon the upper edgeof the rear wall 18 and the upper edge of the rear wall 18 and the upperedges of the rear ends of the walls 17 The rear wall 18 is similarlyapplied in the space 52 of the intermediate section 14, between thewalls 19 and 25, so that the upper edge of the wall 18 and the upperedges of the rear ends of the wall portions 33 abut against theunderside of the horizontal flange 24. The walls 17 similarly overlapthe rear ends of the wall portions 33 and the forward ends of thegunwales Z abut against the rear ends of the gunwales 35. When thusdisposed, parts of the wall portions 33 will be snugly received in theslots 26 so that the sections 13 and 14 will be disposed in correctalignment and with the bores 44 of the forward lugs 43 in alignment withthe bores 48 of the lugs 47 to receive additional bolts 53 which aresecured to said lugs by nuts 54. It will thus be seen that the jointincluding the space 52 corresponds with the joint having the space 49and that said joints, as best seen in FIGURE 7, due to their uniqueconstruction, provide a connection permitting no lateral movement of thesections relative to one another and only a slight lengthwise movementto the extent that the wall 18, for example, can move forwardly in thespace 49 against the wall 25 until the fastenings 50, 51 are applied andtightened, and which effective- 4 ly holds the joint immovably in theposition as illustrated in FIGURES 2, 6 and 8.

It will also be noted that-each section of the assembled boat 12constitutes a separate open top compartment so that any water whichmight leak or otherwise collect in any one compartment or boat sectioncannot reach the other compartments or boat sections.

FIGURES 5 and l0 illustrate a boat deck 55 of the same shape as the topof the bow section 13 and which may be applied thereover. The deck 55has inwardly turned back side edge portions 56 at its rear end formingupwardly opening inturned hooks which slidably engage the verticalgunwale flanges 37, when the deck 55 is slid rearwardly relative to thebow section 13. The deck 55 has openings 57 disposed to register withthe openings 39 lwhen the deck 55 is applied. Selected ones of thealigned openings 39 and 57 can be engaged by nut and Ibolt `fastenings58 for detachably securing the boat deck 55 in an applied positioncovering the open top of the bow section 13.

The openings 23 of the gunwales are adapted to receive conventionaloarlocks, not shown, and are also adapted to be engaged by canopy poles,not shown, and seat supports. The seat supports, as illustrated inFIGURES 1 and 3, each includes two ropes or vother nonelastic flexi--ble elements 59. One end of an angular pin 60 is secured `to each endof each rope 59 and the other ends of the pins 60 engage two openings 23of one of the gunwales of the boat 12, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3. Thepins 60 of the other rope are engaged in corresponding openings 23 ofthe other gunwale. Each rope 59 extends downwardly from the pins 60thereof through transversely spaced end notches 61 of a rigid seatmember 62. An intermediate portion of the rope, which extends betweensaid transversely spaced notches, engages either -an outer pair of hooks63 or an inner pair of hooks 63. The elevation of the seat relative tothe gunwales can thus be varied. The seat member 62 is preferably of alength to extend to adjacent the side -walls 17 to thereby cooperatewith the hooks 63 or 63 in retaining the ropes 59 in engagement with thenotches 61.

As previously stated, the intermediate section 14 is somewhat narrowerthan the stern section 15 and wider than the bow section y13 and is alsoof a greater length than said bow -section and of a lesser length thanthe stern section, so that when the sections are disconnected, theintermediate section 14 can be nested in the stern section 15 and thebow section 13 can be nested within said intermediate section 14 fortransportation and/ or storage of the boat, as illustrated in FIGURE 4.

Various other modifications and changes are contemplated and may beresorted to, without departing from the function or scope of theinvention as hereinafter defined by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sectional boat comprising at least two longitudinally alignedsections including a first section and a second section; an interlockingjoint detachably interconnecting said sections to one another, saidinterlocking joint including an inner transverse wall, an outertransverse wall and a top flange disposed above and rigidly connectingsaid transverse walls together in spaced apart substantially parallelrelation to one another to define a downwardly opening spacetherebetween extending from top to bottom of said transverse walls, saidtransverse Walls and top flange constituting an end of said firstsection, said second section having a transverse end wall fittingdetachably in said space and bearing against the top flange, said outertransverse wall having downwardly opening end slots, and said `secondsection having side walls including recessed top portions snuglyengaging in said slots `and abutting portions of said top flange; saidboat sections each comprising an upwardly opening compartment and saidinterlocking joint being interposed `engaging through said lugs forretaining the joint between and separating said compartments from oneanother.

2. A sectional boat as in claim 1, said boat sections having bottomsprovided with apertured lugs disposed on the undersides thereof, saidlugs being disposed in alignment with one another when said top flangeis abutting said transverse end wall and the recessed end portions ofsaid side walls, and fastening means detachably parts in interlockedengagement with one another.

3. A sectional boat as in claim 1, said rst section having side -Wallsincluding end portions overlapping said inner and outer transverse wallsand the Itop iiange and disposed in overlapping relation to saidrecessed end portions of the side walls of the second section.

4. A sectional boat as in claim 3, said side walls having outwardlyextending horizontal gunwale portions provided with spaced openings, aboat seat, flexible elements detachably connected to and extendingupwardly from the boat seat and having pins engaging in certain of theopenings of oppositely disposed gunwale portions for detachablysuspending the seat in one of said boat sections.

5. A sectional boat as in claim 1, said lsecond section being of alength and width less than the length and Width, respectively, of therst section for storing the second section nested within the firstsection.

6. A sectional boat as in claim 1, a third boat section, and a secondinterlocking joint, corresponding to said rst mentioned interlockingjoint, formed in part by one end of said third boat section and in part'by the other end of lsaid second section, for interconnecting thesecond and third sections with said second section interposed betweenthe rst and third sections.

7. A -sectional boat as in claim 6, said third section comprising a bowsection and defining an upwardly opening compartment, a deck memberdetachably mounted on and covering the open top of the compartmen-t ofsaid third section, and means detachably securing the deck member onsaid third section.

ReferencesCited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A SECTIONAL BOAT COMPRISING AT LEAST TWO LONGITUDINALLY ALIGNEDSECTIONS INCLUDING A FIRST SECTION AND A SECOND SECTION; AN INTERLOCKINGJOINT DETACHABLY INTERCONNECTING SAID SECTIONS TO ONE ANOTHER, SAIDINTERLOCKING JOINT INCLUDING AN INNER TRANSVERSE WALL, AN OUTERTRANSVERSE WALL AND A TOP FLANGE DISPOSED ABOVE AND RIGIDLY CONNECTINGSAID TRANSVERSE WALLS TOGETHER IN SPACED APART SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLELRELATION TO ONE ANOTHER TO DEFINE A DOWNWARDLY OPENING SPACETHEREBETWEEN EXTENDING FROM TOP TO BOTTOM OF SAID TRANSVERSE WALLS, SAIDTRANSVERSE WALLS AND TOP FLANGE CONSTITUTING AN END OF SAID FIRSTSECTION, SAID SECOND SECTION HAVING A TRANSVERSE END WALL FITTINGDETACHABLY IN SAID SPACE AND BEARING AGAINST THE TOP FLANGE, SAID OUTERTRANSVERSE WALL HAVING DOWNWARDLY OPENING END SLOTS, AND SAID SECONDSECTION HAVING SIDE WALLS INCLUDING RECESSED TOP PORTIONS SNUGLYENGAGING IN SAID SLOTS AND ABUTTING PORTIONS OF SAID TOP FLANGE; SAIDBOAT SECTIONS EACH COMPRISING AN UPWARDLY OPENING COMPARTMENT AND SAIDINTERLOCKING JOINT BEING INTERPOSED BETWEEN AND SEPARATING SAIDCOMPARTMENTS FROM ONE ANOTHER.